Falmouth University
Falmouth University is a specialist institution recognised for its excellence in the creative industries, including art, design, media and performance. With a focus on collaboration and innovation, it’s a place where ideas come to life and students are encouraged to explore their creative potential in a supportive, hands-on environment.
Located in Cornwall on England’s stunning southwest coast, Falmouth offers a close-knit campus community surrounded by beaches, harbours and rolling countryside. The seaside town’s relaxed pace and artistic spirit make it a welcoming home for students seeking inspiration both inside and outside the classroom.
In your downtime, you can surf on Gyllyngvase Beach, explore coastal trails, or visit nearby St Ives and its famous Tate gallery. The town’s creative festivals, cafés and music scene capture the best of Cornish culture – offering a unique study abroad experience shaped by creativity, community, and coastal adventure.
Essentials
- Architecture
- Art and design (all majors except interaction design)
- Communication studies (advertising and brand creativity, journalism, screen production)
- Computer and information sciences (computer science)
- Hospitality and tourism (event management, global tourism)
- Language and culture (creative writing)
Not guaranteed by the university but you can apply for the university’s halls of residence, or there is lots of advice to help students rent privately.
Semester dates
- Semester 1: September-January
- Semester 2: January-May
When to apply for exchange to the University of Exeter
- Semester 1 – apply by the 1 December AUT deadline
- Semester 2 – apply by the 1 July AUT deadline
Credit equivalence
20 credits = 20 AUT points
Full semester workload = 60 credits = 60 AUT points
Modules (papers) at Falmouth University will usually be 20 credits or 40 credits, so students will typically take 2-3 modules for the semester while on exchange.
Courses award ECTS credits, although you may encounter the term CATS on Falmouth’s website or university award maps. In the UK, CATS are the equivalent of ECTS and their value is twice that of ECTS (eg 60 CATS = 30 ECTS).
Course levels
Typically, undergraduate students will spend three years studying a single subject that forms their course (major)
- Level 4: first year of undergraduate programmes
- Level 5: second year of undergraduate programmes
- Level 6: third/final year of undergraduate programmes
Specific subject requirements/restrictions
Students attending Falmouth on exchange go into the running semester of Year 2 (Stage 2) of the particular degree programme they have selected, eg Creative Advertising.
This means the study plan is set, and there is no choice in the modules.
Their specialist course framework means that you can only study modules within your chosen subject. Therefore, if you have a major/minor, it may be that only your major area can be satisfied on exchange.
For a detailed overview of courses, visit their Course Guide webpage and check the essentials table above to see which areas are covered in our exchange agreement. To find out the modules that will be running for their undergraduate programmes, use their Course Guide link above and follow the below steps:
- Under the ‘Courses at Falmouth’ menu, select the school and degree programme you are wanting to see the modules for, and this will bring up the Award Document/Course Map.
- You then want to look at the modules running in ‘Stage 2’ and for the corresponding study block you are hoping to go on exchange for – eg AUT’s Semester 2 is Falmouth’s Study Block 1. Check the semester dates above if you’re unsure.
- Once you have the module codes/names, go back to the Course Guide and you can then search for the modules' descriptors in the ‘Modules at Falmouth University’ menu.
Interior Design can only accept exchange students in Study Block 1 (September-January).
All creative courses require a portfolio as part of the application. Only URL links are accepted; portfolios cannot be emailed. Have a look at their general portfolio advice here, bear in mind this is targeted for students applying for their full degree programmes, but there may be some useful tips. You can also speak to your AUT lecturers for help with portfolio advice.